Sheriff's Office says a middle-aged man was seen taking the signs Tuesday evening

Ninety political yard signs went missing in Superior on Tuesday evening, and the Boulder County Sheriff's Office is looking into the incident as a potential misdemeanor theft case.

Cmdr. Rick Brough said Wednesday that 71 signs belonging to Superior Trustee Debra Williams and 19 signs belonging to Trustee Joe Cirelli were taken out of the ground sometime between 5:30 and 7 p.m. Tuesday. Both trustees are running for re-election.

Brough said witnesses described the person seen taking the signs as a 45- to 50-year-old man of average build. He said deputies took reports from seven or eight people about the alleged sign thefts.

Williams said she was particularly saddened by the thefts because they appear to have taken place as people from throughout town were getting ready to gather for a prayer vigil for missing 10-year-old Jessica Ridgeway, whose backpack was found Sunday in Rock Creek. She was last seen walking to school in Westminster on Friday.

Williams guessed that she lost about $400 worth of yard signs Tuesday and has about 20 remaining around town.

Steve Smith, who is running as a write-in candidate in the Nov. 6 election, said he was getting ready to put out his yard signs. He said he waited until opponent Jeff Chu, a former trustee and also a write-in candidate, planted his own signs.

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He thinks the perpetrator is someone who hates all politicians, since both trustees' signs were targeted.

Chu, whose wife put a couple of campaign signs into the ground on his behalf Tuesday, said it was just a coincidence that campaign signs were stolen on the same day he decided to start putting his name out there.

"Maybe it's someone who is sick of politics," he said. "It's pretty bold."

Chu said he wants to put out another 50 signs but is hesitant to do so while there may be a thief on the loose.

Cirelli said he felt angry about and "violated" by the theft. He pulled his one remaining sign Wednesday morning and is reluctant to plant a new batch of signs knowing they might get lifted. He lost about $250 worth of signs Tuesday.

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